Razor knife



Nov. 22, 1960 R m 2,960,768

RAZOR KNIFE Filed Jan. 30, 1959 INVENTOR. Robe/f Q Gaff/'09 Afro/nay 7 2,960,?68 Patented Nov. 22, 1960 fiice RAZOR KNIFE Robert D. Gutting, 831 W. 35th St., Topeka, Kans.

Filed Jan. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 790,165

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-162) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in razor knives, and has particular reference to knives of the class constituting a special holder for a safety razor blade, whereby said blade may be manipulated safely and conveniently for use as a general purpose pocket knife.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of a razor knife of the class described including a carrier in which a safety razor blade may be easily mounted, and a housing or body for said carrier, said carrier being movable in said housing between an operative position wherein said blade is exposed for use, and an inoperative position wherein said blade is retracted within and shielded by said housing.

Another object is the provision of a razor knife of the class described wherein said blade is secured in said carrier, and said carrier is secured in either its operative or inoperative position, by means of a single fastening device such as a set screw.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efliciency and dependability of operation, and safety and convenience of usage.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a razor knife embodying the present invention, with the carrier and blade retracted to their inoperative positions,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the knife as shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the blade extended to its operative position, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on lines IVIV and V-V of Fig. 3.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies generally to a housing or body member having the form of an elongated channel formed of heavy sheet metal rebent on itself at 4 to form a pair of spaced apart side walls 6 and 8. The respective free edge portions 10 and 12 of said side walls are offset inwardly toward each other to form internal longitudinal shoulders 14 in said housing, for a purpose which will presently appear.

Disposed slidably in housing 2 is a carrier 16 constituting a strip of sheet metal folded on itself, the fold 18 thereof being positioned in the bend 4 of the housing, and the longitudinal edges of the walls 22 and 24 thereof bearing slidably against the shoulders 14 of the housing. A window 20 is formed through both walls of said carrier, said window beginning adjacent one end of said carrier, and extending longitudinally therealong. At the same end of the carrier as window 20, side walls 22 and 24 thereof are angled divergently apart to form a pair of ears 26 and 28. The window 20 in said walls extends into the divergent portions of ears 26 and 28, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in order to provide an entryway 30 between said side walls into window 20 (see Fig. 4).

An ordinary safety razor blade 32 of the single-edge type, having a reinforcing channel rib 34 along the back edge thereof, is adapted to be inserted between side walls 22 and 24 of the carrier, the blade rib 34 being inserted through entryway 30 between cars 26 and 28, and moved longitudinally until it is disposed entirely within window 20, as shown. This may be done most easily with the carrier remove from the housing. The blade itself is inserted between the portions of the carrier walls 22 and 24 below the window, springing said walls slightly apart and being clamped frictionally therebetween. These portions of the carrier walls may be slightly reduced in thickness, as indicated in Fig. 5, in order that the blade cannot spread them sufficiently far apart to cause binding of the carrier in the housing. It will be seen also that the carrier is slightly thicker than reinforcing rib 34 of the blade, so that said rib may pass freely between the walls of the housing. Blade 32 extends well below the carrier, the cutting edge 36 being normally disposed between the inwardly offset edge portions 10 and 12 of housing walls 6 and 8.

A set screw 38 is threaded in housing wall 6 and is provided at its outer end with a knurled head 40. At its inner end, said screw is aligned with carrier window 20 and is operable to engage the blade rib 34 in said window. As best shown in Fig. 5, said screw when tightened, forces rib 34 to one side, said rib being movable due to the flexibility of blade 32, to bear tightly against the inner surface of housing wall 8, thereby securing the blade in fixed relation to the housing. This also secures the carrier in position, since the carrier grips the blade frictionally, and further since screw 38 as it is tightened also acts through rib 34 and blade 32 to pass carrier wall 24 against housing wall 8. Thus the carrier and blade may be secured tightly in a position desired relative to the housing, either with the blade fully retracted in and shielded by the housing, or with the blade fully extended as shown in Figs. 35, or in any intermediate position.

When the blade is encased entirely in the housing, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the ears 26 and 28 serve as stops limiting the insertion of the carrier into the housing. When set screw 38 is loosened, the ears serve as handles for extending the carrier. As the carrier is extended, the portion thereof at the rear of window 20 engages the screw to limit the outward movement of said carrier and to prevent it from being withdrawn entirely free from the housing, as best shown in Fig. 4, since the screw projects into said window. By backing the screw entirely free of the window, the carrier may be removed from the housing for the removal and replacement of blades.

A most important feature of the present invention is that a single fastening means, namely screw 33, serves both to secure the blade in the carrier, and the carrier in the housing, as described. This is a valuable feature of economy in that it reduces the number of parts normally required in devices of this type, and of convenience in the reduction of the number of manual operations required to secure the blade. Also the blade, while supported by the carrier, is held directly against the housing itself by the screw. Since the housing is the part which is held by the operator in manipulating the blade, this is a safety feature in that it more positively prevents possible relative shifting of the blade relative to the housing than would be the case if separate connections were used between the blade and carrier, and between the carrier and the housing.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A razor knife comprising a channel-shaped housing open along one edge, a blade carrier disposed for longitudinal sliding movement in said housing in spaced relation from the open edge thereof, said carrier comprising a fold of sheet material the side walls of which bear slidably against the respective side walls of said housing channel, said fold opening toward the open edge of said housing channel, a razor blade gripped frictionally between the side walls of said carrier and extending therefrom toward the open edge of said housing, the cutting edge thereof being disposed parallel to and adjacent but spaced inwardly from said open housing edge, whereby said cutting edge may be exposed by extending said carrier longitudinally from said housing, said carrier having a longitudinally extending window formed therethrough in spaced relation from the open edge thereof in which a portion of said razor blade is exposed, and a clamping member carried adjustably by said housing and engaging the portion of said blade exposed in said window to force a portion of said blade remote from the cutting edge thereof tightly against an interior surface of said housing.

2. A razor knife as recited in claim 1 wherein said razor blade is of the single-edge type having a reinforcing rib secured thereto along the edge thereof opposite its cutting edge, said reinforcing rib being positioned within said window, and wherein said clamping member engages said reinforcing rib within said window.

3. A razor knife as recited in claim 1 wherein said razor blade is of the single-edge type having a reinforcing rib secured thereto along the edge thereof opposite its cutting edge, said reinforcing rib being positioned within said window, and wherein said clamping member engages said reinforcing rib Within said window, the side walls of said carrier at one end of said window being angled divergently apart and said window extending into said divergent portions, whereby to form an end opening through which said reinforcing rib may be inserted into said window.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

